If you're a user of Google Inbox, you've probably discovered just how powerful and efficient a tool Bundles can be. With them you can curate email, from a specific source (or sources), into a single bundle. This not only makes it easy to keep track of those emails, but helps to manage the upkeep of your Inbox.

But did you know that you can create your own Bundles? That's right, no matter what platform you are working on (desktop or mobile), you can create your own bundles in Inbox. Let me show you how.

What you'll need

Either a mobile device or desktop browser connected to said Google account

Specific email addresses or keywords to assign to a bundle

That's all you need. With that in mind, let's create a new Bundle to help keep your Inbox as manageable as possible.

Creating the Bundle

This can be done from either a mobile device or the desktop. I'll demonstrate on a Verizon-branded Nexus 6. The steps are pretty much identical, regardless of platform:

Open up Google Inbox

Tap the overflow menu in the upper left corner (three horizontal lines)

Locate and tap + Create new...

Give the Bundle a name and tap SAVE

In the new window (Figure A), tap Add

Tap the drop-down and select from the list (From, To, Subject, Includes, Excludes)

Enter a name or email

If you need to add more conditions, tap the And... button

When finished, tap SAVE

Figure A

Image: Jack Wallen

Creating a new bundle is quite simple.

NOTE: If you need to add multiple sources (regardless of type), separate them with a comma. You can include as many sources as you wish.

Once you've saved the Bundle, you will then be prompted to select from the available options (Figure B).

Figure B

Image: Jack Wallen

Editing Bundle options.

By default, Bundles are set up to appear as messages arrive. You can change that by tapping the Show bundle entry and selecting from As messages arrive (default), Once a day, or Once a week. If you select either daily or weekly, you can then specify the time in which they are to appear. You can also turn on notifications when emails arrive into that bundle. When you change an option to the Bundle, you do not have to save, as it is done automatically.

One caveat to this is that the new Bundle will not retroactively scrape your inbox for emails to include in this Bundle. The Bundle will, however, begin collecting emails as soon as it is created.

Bundles are a great way to get your Google Inbox under control. But don't think you're limited to the pre-built bundles. Get creative and you can manage your Inbox with a never-before experienced efficiency.

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About Jack Wallen

Jack Wallen is an award-winning writer for TechRepublic and Linux.com. He’s an avid promoter of open source and the voice of The Android Expert. For more news about Jack Wallen, visit his website jackwallen.com.

Full Bio

Jack Wallen is an award-winning writer for TechRepublic and Linux.com. He’s an avid promoter of open source and the voice of The Android Expert. For more news about Jack Wallen, visit his website jackwallen.com.